Kent County has long been a model in planning and land use and our landscape and quality of life reflects those wise and educated decisions. On Tuesday, June 13 at 10 am, the County Commissioners will hold a hearing on a Zoning Text Amendment (ZTA) to raise the height of buildings in the 301 corridor that could flush all that good work down the drain.
What has yet to be determined is why the County Commissioners put forth this piecemeal change in the first place. Mr. Fithian proclaimed during his campaign that “good things are coming to Millington that I think you will all like.” However, the town of Millington submitted a letter to the Planning Commission opposing the height increase in the 301 corridor.
There is no actual project that would show what this 60” structure would look like or contain. Also missing is a traffic study because you cannot conduct a traffic study without a site plan and you cannot have a site plan without a project.
The Planning Director determined that the ZTA complied with the Comprehensive Plan because it was Economic Development. However, he neglected to consider the equally important priorities of quality of life of the citizens, protecting the 301 corridor as a gateway to Kent County and ensuring that new development enhances the designated growth area’s character and responsible stewardship of our lands and waters. In fact, the Comprehensive Plan specifically states that “Improvements to US 301 place the County in a perilous position that is detrimental to the County’s Vision.”
The Planning Commission after much discussion about the process of making this change via a text amendment rather than through the ongoing Comprehensive Rezoning process, voted 5 to 1 to give an unfavorable recommendation to the County Commissioners.
It is clear that special treatment is being given to one individual, Russ Richardson, who owns the only property that could benefit from this height increase. The ZTA will effectively supersede the Comprehensive Plan and any critical oversight of future and as of now, speculative development. It looks like the County has designed a sweetheart deal for Mr. Richardson after he ran into opposition from the town of Millington.
The only chance we have to stop this catastrophic precedent setting and meritless ZTA is to SHOW UP at the hearing on June 13 at 10 am. There is absolutely no reason to supersede our zoning process and open the floodgates to unmitigated development. Rather, we should encourage our County Commissioners to take the time we have and invest in thoroughly researching the impacts warehouse development has had on communities that have allowed their proliferation. What can be learned from their mistakes and how can we maximize revenue while minimizing long term liabilities such as traffic, pollution, blight and infrastructure costs? Ignorance is no protection from consequences.
Judy Gifford
Kennedyville
Michael Bitting says
I’ll be there to support the amendment representing myself and other young families that care about the economic future of kent county.
Gren Whitman says
Commissioner Ron Fithian’s apparently feeble respect for planning and zoning laws and regulations is illustrated by his recent advice on May 17 to Rock Hall’s Mayor and Council.
As reported in the Kent County News of June 8, Mr. Fithian, in support of a proposal to expand a commercial parking lot in or proximate to the Bay Critical Area, stated: “Listen, maybe I shouldn’t say this, but if your zoning person can’t approve it, you people need to approve it.”
(See “Fithian weighs in on restaurant parking issue in Rock Hall,” page 3, paragraph 2)
This suggests the commissioner may be inclined to bypass zoning requirements when it’s convenient.
If that’s not what he meant to express to Rock Hall’s elected officials, perhaps he should explain what he did mean.
But as yet, he hasn’t.
Marsha Fritz says
Thank you to Ms. Gifford for her letter. I remain extremely skeptical about this warehouse proposal. As I said in my letter published in The Spy earlier, I live in an area with a great many of these structures. They were sold as a clean replacement for lost industrial facilities, but the promises made have left us with congested and failing roads and without those promised great jobs. Instead, the Lehigh Valley’s air and waterways are among the dirtiest in Pennsylvania, according to recent studies.
In his State of the Country Address a week ago, Lamont McClure, the executive director of Northampton County, one of the two largest in the Valley said that “Our people are done with warehousing” and that our “Economy is healthy, [but] warehousing not so much.”
Please learn from our mistakes; Kent County citizens, show up and tell the Commissioners, “Not here!”
Thomas Timberman says
Judy Gifford and her colleague, Janet Christensen-Lewis, have both written Spy articles urging all readers to rise up and block a proposal now before the KC commission, to raise zoning height limits by 15′. The problem: they perceive it as an attempt to facilitate dreaded economic development on the 301 Corridor.
Everton Inc. is interested in building large warehouses on acrage on the 301 corridor, long ago designated for Kent economic. development. And this investor or others, and may have requested this variance. Both Ms. Gifford and Ms. Christensen and others are dedicated to preserving Kent’s beautiful landscapes and rural ag fields forever, just as they are.
The challenge: Kent’s population, dwindling and aging, need jobs and young born-heres leave, because there are too few opportunities to earn enough money to support a family. Young families generally don’t move here becaus very little affordable housing and no jobs. Moreover, the County has lost many small businesses (18 in Chestertown) that provided products and services no longer available. The Pandemic and fires, led to the closure of more, including family restaurants that served visiting tourists..
As a former economic development team leader or government advisor in 6 war zones, I’ve been asked what my opinion is of Kent’s economy. My immediate, admittedly flippant response is that if Kent continues on its current no econ development path, has two optional futures: a state or national park or the largest Liesure World in the USA. More seriously, I’m seriously concerned that with fewer businesses, home owners and renters paying taxes, the Commission’s only option to increase county revenues significantly to pay higher demands, including $11 million over 10 years, for public schools, is to raise property taxes.
Michael Bitting says
If the county is saddled with the required financial impact of the kirwan legislation without any additional economical growth it will lead to significantly high taxes and major cuts to county services that will disproportionately impact citizens that don’t own property that is zoned agriculture. Clearly they have a motivation and more time to spend on stuff like this and the people that actually have a stake in the economic future of a functioning county economy will be left holding the bill.
Deirdre LaMotte says
Sorry, but this is the same argument Walmart made in the 1990s. Small local businesses are the first to parish when this type of development occurs. Additionally,
jobs at minimum wage, which most if not all jobs will be,
is never ever going to benefit Kent residents.
I was recently in Talbot County talking with residents lamenting the development pressure. They spoke about
how lucky Kent is, being the only Maryland Eastern Shore
County,
that realizes its rural
advantage. We are crazy to hand this over to developers
whose only care is acting like a private equity:
invest, go in , do the damage, and leave. No regard for the community.
Beverly Birkmire says
Many of the arguments that I have been reading are not pertinent to the proposed ZTA. Areas of the Rt. 301 corridor ate already designated for industrial development. I have not heard any reason why an increase of 15′ in height is a bad idea. I am in favor of actions by our county commissioners that will attract economic development to add to our tax base and perhaps even attract young workers, more housing, and more children for our school systems.
Alan Boisvert says
Show up and fight against what exactly? A little pro-business development to bring jobs to Kent along the 301 corridor sounds like a brilliant idea to me. I will show up and promote the idea. Thanks for the information.
Michael Wootton says
Why is this critical text amendment hearing being held at 10am in the morning which effectively eliminates a large portion of the county residents from having a voice in the decision. This only adds fuel to the idea that a sweetheart deal is being is being made out of the public eye. I hope people will take 2-3 minutes to send an email to the commissioners so your voice will be heard. For or against the proposed ZTA is less important than the public having the opportunity to be heard by the commissioners.
KDS says
Has anyone noticed how fast delaware and other neighboring areas have gone downhill and all of the trouble that comes along with development…. Do you really want the problems that go along with “beneficial development opportunities “ to show up on your doorstep? Just take a ride anywhere in Delaware or the western shore and you’ll see what happens. It’s not a pretty picture when it is all said and done.